Flempo: Saveable task filters with hackable URLs

I just added a neat feature to Flempo: You can save your task filters. If you set up a filter and follow the “Save filter” link next to it, you’ll be prompted to provide its name. Once you do that, the filter will be saved for you under that name. It’ll appear in the menu under the standard filters. Click here to see the example of saving a task filter in Flempo.

Note that the standard filters apply together with the custom ones. It means that if you go to “Current tasks” and then to your custom filter that filters assignees on Joe for example, Flempo will show Joe’s current tasks. This way you can display To-Do lists of your team members, so you can easily see what they are up to. Also if you work on multiple projects and/or for multiple customers, you can use the custom filters to switch context with one click. (That is why I made this in the first place, I’m in “Current tasks” or “Your todo list” and then I only click “Tasks assigned to Flempo”, “Tasks assigned to ProjectX” etc.)

Feel like hacking today?

Now to the hacking. I thought it would be nice if I could further filter on a custom filter. I’d be in Current Joe’s tasks, but I’d like to see Joe’s current tasks for a customer X. I didn’t really figure out how to keep the UI simple and provide this functionality at the same time. But then I realize the UI is there, but only in your address bar.

If you follow the filter link, you’ll see the URL will end with something like this:

filter=164&list_type=current.

If you set up a filter that shows tasks created by a customer X, the URL will contain

search_by=customer_id&search_for=5.

So if you want to combine these two filters, just concatenate the two parameter lists to

filter=164&list_type=current&search_by=customer_id&search_for=5,

go to that URL and bookmark it.

So yeah, this is my way to provide an advanced user interface without bothering the less advanced users. Hehe yeah I’m crazy

Hi there! I’m Jan Kubr, mainly a Ruby/Ruby on Rails developer from Prague. See my professional summary or my LinkedIn profile. I write about Ruby and RoR at jan on ruby and here about everything else. If you want to know more, feel free to contact me via Flempo. Cheers.